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| HIGHLAND HIGHLIGHTS We send an e-newsletter approximately every two weeks; they are posted here following the mailing. If you'd like to be on the newsletter subscriber list, please email Peggy at highlandbook@citcom.net
 Highland Highlights |
| | Good Morning, Hope your New Year is off to a good start. I could stand a whole winter's worth of this mild weather! Frankly, I'm not missing all that snow we had last winter! Christmas is over, and yes, Valentine's is right on its heels! At least, we've put out our Valentine cards in the racks that once held the Christmas cards, so if you're an early bird shopper, come see all the cute, funny, romantic cards for your Valentine. CALENDARS are going on half-price sale today! Wondering what our bestsellers were for the holiday season? STEVE JOBS biography; UNBROKEN, a WWII story of survival; Stephen King's 11/22/63, fictional re-creation of the Kennedy assasination; KILLING LINCOLN, Bill O'Reilly's look at that assasination; David Baldacci's new thriller, ZERO DAY; David McCullough's THE GREATER JOURNEY: AMERICANS IN PARIS; NIGHT CIRCUS, an imaginative fantasy of circus life; THE BALLAD OF TOM DOOLEY by Sharyn McCrumb; and N.C. author John Hart's new legal thriller, IRON HOUSE. And THE HUNGER GAMES continues to dominate the young adult sales; it was filmed in WNC, and the movie opens in March! Books that most frequently popped up on the Book Club lists last year: THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS; SARAH'S KEY; ROOM; CUTTING FOR STONE; THE HELP; MAJOR PETTIGREW'S LAST STAND; HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET. You are always welcome to step around the end of the counter and look over the selections on the Book Club shelves. New in paperback: THE TIGER'S WIFE by Tea Obreht, in which a young doctor attempts to unravel the mystery surrounding her grandfather's death in a Balkan country; THE LAND OF PAINTED CAVES by Jean Auel, the last in the Earth's Children series; and FOLLY BEACH by Dorothea Benton Frank. Thanks to all who chose to support their local economy by shopping locally this season! We are pleased to report that we had a good Christmas season at the bookstore, and look forward to a happy, healthy, prosperous New Year. Peggy |
| Peggy Hansen
Highland Books 277 N. Broad St. 828-884-2424 |
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Highland Highlights |
| | Happy Halloween Weekend!
Thank goodness the weather turned out beautifully for the Halloweenfest in downtown Brevard! Haven't these fall days been just gorgeous? The Pumpkin Patch at First Methodist Church, next door to us, still has lots of great pumpkins!
Of course, the big book of the week is STEVE JOBS by Walter Isaacson. Surely everyone has heard about this book, and those who have purchased it report that it's fascinating, intriguing, eye-opening, controversial...just like Steve Jobs himself! In an article in Rolling Stone magazine about Jobs, the writer says that Jobs' greatest invention ever was the (re)invention of Steve Jobs. As a young adult, he was a rebellious, difficult, ill-mannered jerk. Jobs realized that he needed to design a "new" Steve Jobs that the world could idolize, someone more brilliant, profound, and in control. Inventing the new Jobs turned his life and career around.
The other big book this week is the new John Grisham, THE LITIGATORS. (Unlike some other popular authors, it appears that Grisham is still writing his own books! At least, there's no co-author listed on the cover!) It's being hailed as not only a superb legal thriller, but also a fun, entertaining romp.
Well, okay, there is one other REALLY BIG BOOK this week: REINVENTING FIRE by Amory Lovins and the staff of Rocky Mountain Institute. The sub-title is "Bold Business Solutions for the New Energy Era," which gives you a clue that this is about our energy future (getting off of fossil fuels and producing energy in a cleaner, safer, and cheaper way) and doing so in a way that is profitable for business. Why is this such an important book? Partly because of the topic, but mostly because our daughter, Lena, is a co-author! She works for RMI and wrote the part of the book about electricity, her specialty. Are we proud? YES!
If you missed Nancy Turner's show at the library last week about her book, WINGS, we do have signed copies in the store. This large format, coffee-table book of aerial photos of the mountains of WNC between Brevard, Toxaway, Cashiers and Highlands is just spectacular!
See you soon! Peggy |
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Highland Highlights |
| | Good Morning,
This is the peak weekend for fall color along 276 through the Pisgah Forest and up to the Parkway! (according to me, anyway!) We drove up there on Sunday and couldn't believe how gorgeous it was. Esp. if the sun is shining, it's just spectacular!
AUTHOR EVENT: Tomorrow (Thursday, Oct. 13) we are hosting Carolyn Sakowski, author and president of John Blair Publisher, as she presents her book, TOURING THE WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA BACKROADS (third edition). We have used this book for years (in previous editions) as we drive through the mountains, and always enjoy her historical and cultural notes about people and places of the mountains. Carolyn will be here at 4:00 with a slideshow and talk.
NEW: These are really cool: Reading glasses with built-in lights that shine out from the front of the glasses! A combination of reading glasses and booklight, and only $15.
ALSO NEW: Well, not really new, just back in stock: gorgeous leather journals, different sizes and designs, with handmade paper. We always sell out of these as soon as we can get them back in stock.
NEW BOOKS: Non-fiction: Susan Orlean's RIN TIN TIN: THE LIFE AND THE LEGEND, a fascinating and entertaining account of all the incarnations of the famous dog; BOOMERANG by Michael Lewis, wherein he shows how the cheap credit crisis affected different areas of the world, including us; and Billy Graham's NEARING HOME, his memoir of growing old and pondering what God still has in store for him.
Fiction: Nicholas Sparks' THE BEST OF ME, in which high school sweethearts meet again decades later; a new entry in the "Irish Country Doctor" series, A DUBLIN STUDENT DOCTOR by Patrick Taylor (a return to the youth of the doctor); and my favorite: the fourth book in Spencer Quinn's "Chet and Bernie" mysteries: THE DOG WHO KNEW TOO MUCH. This dog is just too funny.
We have received lots of new things in our Fair Trade department, esp. Christmas items. If you are a fan of Fair Trade crafts, jewelry and gifts, you'll want to know that Ten Thousand Villages is bringing their show on the road once again to St. Philip's Episcopal Church (E. Main St., Brevard) for a fall sale: Sat. Oct 22 and Sun. Oct 23. All are invited!
See you soon! Peggy |
| Peggy Hansen
Highland Books 277 N. Broad St. 828-884-2424 |
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Highland Highlights |
| | Dear Friends, We had a wonderful 35th Birthday Party on September 13, and we thank all who attended, sent flowers, and generally helped to make our day a happy one! We're very proud to have operated a successful independent bookstore for three and a half decades, and it's thanks to all of you who have supported us over the years. I've put a few photos on our website from the party (HighlandBooksBrevard.com) in case you missed it! Our boxed Christmas cards are now available (a few more to come in early October) and about half of our cards are "Made in the U.S.A." It's difficult to find items, esp. paper products, that are made in the U.S., but I always try! New this week is JACQUELINE KENNEDY: HISTORIC CONVERSATIONS ON LIFE WITH JOHN F. KENNEDY, including a book with photos, and 8 cds of interviews that Mrs. Kennedy recorded in 1964. The interviews are labelled by topic, such as "JFK's Reading Habits," "Birth of John F. Kennedy, Jr.," "The Bay of Pigs," and "Early Married Life." The price is $60, but we offer it at $48. Looks fascinating! Appalachian author, Sharyn McCrumb, has a new "Ballad Novel," THE LEGEND OF TOM DOOLEY. McCrumb loves mountain storytelling, and has researched the Tom Dooley (also known as Tom Dula) legend and turned it into a novel. She says that you should not base your knowledge of Tom Dooley on the old song ("Hang Down Your Head, Tom Dooley")! Read the book and learn the true story (told in fictional form). Our daughter just finished reading THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern and declares it one of the best books she's ever read! Imaginative, magical, and captivating, she said it grabs you from the first page and she never wanted it to end. It's a new novel about a mysterious circus that only appears at night, and two characters who are pitted against each other in a game of illusions and magic. Come see us! Peggy |
| Peggy Hansen
Highland Books 277 N. Broad St. 828-884-2424 |
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Highland Highlights |
| | Good day, Thanks to all who have expressed kind words about my book, TRANSYLVANIA MEMORIES. I'm so happy you're enjoying the stories of these folks who grew up here 80 and 90 years ago. This Friday, we're hosting Jubal Tiner of the Brevard College English Department for a reading from the new literary anthology, PRESS 53 SPOTLIGHT. Jubal has three stories in the collection, and will be reading from those beginning at 3:00 this Friday (August 26). Please join us. The 2012 calendars have arrived, and there are LOTS of beautiful wall calendars, including Bill Lea's CADE'S COVE. Also, lots of engagement calendars and pocket planners. THE HELP is playing at the Coed Theater right now. We're waiting till the lines go down a little, but definitely plan to see it. (Isn't it great that we get the big movies on opening day right here in Brevard?) The book of the same name is selling FAST, based on the popularity of the movie, even though it's been out for three years. It's definitely a book that we recommend. One of my favorite books was VELVA JEAN LEARNS TO DRIVE. The sequel is due next week: VELVA JEAN LEARNS TO FLY, in which our heroine sings at the Grand Old Opry and earns a pilot's license in order to fly for the WAFS. Also due next week is the compelling new novel by Jeffrey Archer. ONLY TIME WILL TELL begins a new series, starting in the 1920s, and has earned rave early reviews: packed with intrigue, mystery, and heartrending revelations; a page-turning, heartstopping saga, with delightful twists and a surprise ending; a historical novel with thriller elements. Can't wait! Peggy |
| Peggy Hansen
Highland Books 277 N. Broad St. 828-884-2424 |
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| | Dear Friends, I am very happy to announce that the book I have been working on for the past year is finally ready! TRANSYLVANIA MEMORIES will be in the bookstore next week (August 25), and I hope you'll check it out. I interviewed 20 long-time residents of Transylvania County, and have written an oral history of life here in the 1920s and 1930s (sometimes a little later as well). It was fascinating to talk with folks who were children here before there were cars or electricity, and little girls wore dresses made out of flour sacks. (I was so unaware, I asked one lady if her dresses had "plain" or "self-rising" written across the front!) Most of the people I interviewed had grown up on a farm, since this was a largely rural county. But several grew up in town as the children of professionals. So there's a wide variety of childhood experiences related by these wonderful storytellers. ALSO: We're having a "book party" on Tuesday, August 2, from 3:00 untl 4:00, and you're invited! I'm inviting all the "stars" of the book to come and chat with guests about their recollections of early Transylvania, and we'll all enjoy refreshments and reminiscing. I hope you can come. (p.s., the book is a paperback for $15.99) People have asked me how long it took to write this book. Well, I've been thinking about doing it for 35 years, ever since I moved to Brevard! But since I'm a procrastinator, I just got around to it last year. Everyone has a story to tell, and I hope you'll enjoy reading these recollections of an earlier day in Transylvania County. Peggy |
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Highland Highlights |
| | Good morning, This Saturday, July 16, we are hosting a group of women writers who will be reading from their new collection, WOMEN'S SPACES WOMEN'S PLACES. The program will begin at 1:00 and should be lots of fun hearing these women share their stories, poems, and memoirs. They are writers, editors, and poets, and you might like to not only hear them read from their book, but also chat with them about writing and publishing. (There is a large memorial service at the Methodist Church next door to the bookstore Saturday at 2:00, so get here well before 1:00 to get a parking space!) NEW BOOKS Jaycee Dugard tells her tragic and emotional story of captivity for 18 years by a sex offender in A STOLEN LIFE. What an astonishing young woman to have come through that period in her life and still be such a beautiful human being. She says, "What's done is done" and she refuses to let hate rule her life. John Hart's IRON HOUSE is his fourth thriller, and the reviewers are telling him to make room on his shelf for a third Edgar Award (for best mystery of the year). This is a riveting thriller, full of danger and deceit and violence, and Hart, a North Carolinian, just gets better and better. I enjoyed Ann Patchett's new novel, STATE OF WONDER, set in the Amazon jungle and full of snakes, killer bugs, things grabbing your feet in the river, cannibals, and lots of other creepy and scary dangers! But if you're not squeamish about jungle dangers, it's a thrilling story of a woman who travels to the jungle to locate and rein in an uncommunicative doctor who's trying to develop a new and important medicine. This is a page-turner, even if a little outlandish, and exhibits Patchett's wonderful writing as well as her tackling ideas ranging from romantic entanglements to mad scientists to jungle heat. TOP TEN BOOK CLUB FAVORITES OF 2010: (how many have YOU read?) The Help, Cutting for Stone, Sarah's Key, Still Alice, The Book Thief, Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Little Bee. Peggy |
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May 4, 2011 |
| | Good Morning, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this gorgeous weather keeps up through the weekend so we can have a Mother's Day picnic. We have four generations to gather for a family picnic! Hope you have a lovely weekend, too! Speaking of Mother's Day, our Ten Thousand Villages mini-store would be a fine place to look for a necklace, scarf, earrings, or other gift item from around the world. We're thrilled with how well-received this addition to our store has been, and I can do all my own gift shopping right there! Perfect for Mom, graduations, weddings, birthdays. Some book selections for MOM are CALEB'S CROSSING by Geraldine Brooks (author of YEAR OF WONDERS and PEOPLE OF THE BOOK) and set among the Puritans of Martha's Vineyard; THE BUTTERFLY'S DAUGHTER by Mary Alice Monroe, a novel about an Hispanic woman returning to Mexico like the monarchs who migrate there; and a new thriller from Richard North Patterson, THE DEVIL'S LIGHT, a timely novel about an Al Qaeda agent acting on orders from Osama Bin Laden. 20 YEARS YOUNGER by Oprah's trainer, Bob Greene, has a lot of great ideas for looking and feeling more youthful and fit. But unless she asks for this one, you might not want to give it to MOM and risk her thinking you're giving her a hint! And if MOM is a cook (or just likes to read cookbooks), Tupelo Honey Cafe in Asheville has published their scrumptious recipes in a new cookbook! Shrimp and Goat Cheese Grits with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce, Peachy Grilled Chicken Salad with Pecan Vinaigrette....all my favorites are there! Plus...we have LOTS of great Mother's Day cards, as well as graduation and everyday cards. If you haven't seen our expanded card selection, come on down! Peggy |
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Highland Highlights |
| | Good morning, Wildflower season is upon us, and if you are ready to go beyond identifying and move into the ecology and natural history of wild plants, we've got the book for you! WILDFLOWERS AND PLANT COMMUNITIES looks at plants through their ecosystem, or habitat, and the book includes 21 different plant communities in the Southern Appalachians and Piedmont. These include communities such as Grassy Bald, High Elevation Rock Outcrop, Rich Cove Forest, Rocky Streamside, and Forest Edge. Ten years in the making, this book by Tim Spira, professor of botany at Clemson, gives an in-depth look at each community, as well as a detailed description of each flower or plant including habitat, taxonomy, ecology and uses. This is a fantastic new book for those wanting to learn more about native plants. (Tim Spira will be here June 13 for a program.) Caroline Kennedy's new book of selected poetry, SHE WALKS IN BEAUTY, is a lovely gift idea for a mother, daughter or girlfriend. The poems are arranged into chapters celebrating "the most notable milestones, passages, and universal experiences in a woman's life." Hendersonville's Ann B. Ross has a new story about everybody's favorite busybody: MISS JULIA ROCKS THE CRADLE. And the last volume, MISS JULIA RENEWS HER VOWS, is now here in paperback. Diana Mott Davidson has a new foodie mystery: CRUNCH TIME, and the picture of the chocolate truffle on the cover is reason enough to buy the book. Jesse Ventura has been on TV promoting his newest book, 63 DOCUMENTS THE GOVERNMENT DOESN'T WANT YOU TO READ, following his AMERICAN CONSPIRACIES, which is now in paperback. And Rob Bell's LOVE WINS has become a popular title for us -- everyone in town seems to be reading it. You may have heard about the minister in N.C. who was fired for promoting this book about new ways to think about heaven and hell. New in paperback: LAURA BUSH: SPOKEN FROM THE HEART and THE HELP (in case there's anyone out there who hasn't read it yet). A bookstore is a fine place to find a graduation gift, and also Easter gifts. We have lots of nice suggestions for both occasions. And speaking of wildflowers, we visited the Botanical Garden on the grounds of UNC-A last weekend and the flowers are spectacular! If you're in Asheville, it's worth a stop. Peggy |
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March 12, 2011 |
| | Good Morning, Our "bargain books" are proving to be immensely popular! Some examples of the "coffee table" books: THE GANGES (orig. $49.95, now $20.98); ANTARCTICA (orig. $55.00, now $15.98); ISLAM ART AND ARCHITECTURE (orig. $34.99, now $20.98); and SOUTHWESTERN INDIAN JEWELRY (orig. $55.00, now $10.98). Books don't last long at these prices! As well as the pictorals, we also have a good selection of biographies, history, science, religion, etc., starting at about $4.98. Also, wonderful children's books (mostly picture books) starting at $4.98. Easter is April 24. To go along with our Easter books and Bibles (and Bible covers), we just received an order of those adorable but realistic-looking animal hand puppets by Folkmanis. Several bunnies are among the mix, as well as monkeys, turtles, dogs, a skunk and a peacock! I loved THE PARIS WIFE, a new novel about Ernest Hemingway's first wife, Hadley, and their life in Paris of the 1920s when he was just starting his career. A wonderful evocation of the Paris of Gertrude Stein and other writers and artists, as well as a revealing look at the Hemingway's marriage. Tim enjoys Michael and Kathleen Gear's novels of Native American history, and just finished FIRE THE SKY. He recommends it to anyone who likes that part of our history. And if you like novels of even earlier history, Jean Auel's newest book in the Clan of the Cave Bear series is finally on the way! LAND OF PAINTED CAVES will be here March 28. Call or email to reserve a copy. Gardeners: There's a new book you might like, THE SUCCESSFUL GARDENER GUIDE FOR NORTH CAROLINA. I love the format of this little book: the first part covers a wide array of topics from flowers to vegetables to lawns and trees. Then there's a question and answer section that's very helpful. Also, a seasonal gardening calendar. We've had lots of requests for HEAVEN IS FOR REAL: A LITTLE BOY'S ASTOUNDING STORY OF HIS TRIP TO HEAVEN AN BACK. Little Colton was not quite four years old when he had surgery and tells of leaving his body during the operation. Too young to know the things he reported having seen, Colton's story is compelling reading. And, last but certainly not least, come see our expanded TEN THOUSAND VILLAGES Fair Trade section! We've expanded to be able to display more jewelry, more garden ware, more table linens, more crafts....you just have to see! We're so pleased that Fair Trade has been so well-received in Brevard! See you soon. Peggy |
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| | | | February 19, 2011 Is this springtime or summertime? Love all that sun and blue sky! If it makes you think of gardening, we've got lots of idea books to inspire you, as well as how-to books like SQUARE FOOT GARDENING, one of our most popular. Just wanted to let you know that we received a large order yesterday of "bargain books." These are the beautiful hardback books that have been reduced in price and cover just about every subject: cooking, history, art, astrology, health, decorating, and lots of children's books. And, there's another order coming in this week! People love these books for gifts as well as for their personal reading pleasure at greatly reduced prices. One of my favorite books, ANY HUMAN HEART, is being shown on Masterpiece Theater for three Sundays this month. This is an exceptional novel told in journal entries of a man living through the expanse of the 20th century. Brilliant writing. Timothy Tyson spoke at the Porter Center on Tuesday night. He's the author of BLOOD DONE SIGN MY NAME, the true story of racial strife in Oxford, North Carolina, in the 1970s. The book is in paperback and has been a popular one for book clubs as well as general reading since it was published in 2004. Just reduced remaining calendars to $2.00 each! Not many left, but there are some nice ones, like Fancy Nancy, I Love Kittens, InDOGnito, Glee, and some of the page-a-day ones. Also, lots of pocket monthlies. Enjoy the beautiful day! Peggy |
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All of our hardback bestsellers are 20% the publisher's price. | |
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